With more than three years of sobriety under his belt, Roman Dougherty was nervous about starting college at the University of Colorado.

But this fall as a freshman, Dougherty took part in a new group at the university that eased many of his worries, the Community for Students in Recovery, or CORE, which operates within CU's Collegiate Recovery Center.

As a member of that community, Dougherty lives with another student choosing a substance-free lifestyle in a new sober residential community, which is in its first year.

Dougherty, who has been sober since March 2012, wasn't concerned about maintaining his lifestyle in college. But he didn't want to feel isolated as a freshman who doesn't drink or use drugs.

In his dorm room, he's found a "safe space" to share with someone who understands what he's been through, without even having to talk about it.

"I've noticed that with a lot of people on campus, a lot of their lives seem to be based around partying, and that's just not me," said Dougherty, 19, who is studying engineering.

In addition to the housing option, the CORE program gives members other opportunities, such as key access to the Collegiate Recovery Center community lounge, special events and group trips, a peer mentor and orientation program and eligibility for scholarships.

Advertisement

There are currently 26 CORE members at CU, including 14 new members who came to campus this fall, said Sam Randall, assistant director of the Collegiate Recovery Center.

Randall said she expects the residential community to gain a few new participants this spring, as several transfer students have shown interest.

"It provides them a built-in support system in that they know that their roommate is also a member (of CORE) and is supportive of a sober lifestyle," Randall said.

The CORE community is a program in CU's Collegiate Recovery Center, which launched nearly three years ago and has since attracted several students to campus who were looking for a school with a supportive recovery community.

Long labeled a party school, CU-Boulder is now becoming known as a school that supports students in recovery and those choosing a substance-free educational experience, officials believe.

Parents in particular are often relieved when they visit the center, a warm, inviting lounge space, and learn about some of CU's programming and staff support around sobriety, said Danny Conroy, who directs the center.

"For most families there's this sort of initial 'Wow, Boulder, it's a big school, weed's legal,' all these concerns that a lot of people have, but what they see when they visit is a core group of people who are committed (to supporting sobriety)," Conroy said. "You start to be able to envision, among a very large school, a place where you can see your kid."

This fall, the center hosted its first-ever orientation day for new students and began hosting a monthly event to celebrate recovery milestones and other happy moments, such as marriage proposals or academic successes.

The Boulder alt-country band gives its EPs names such as Death and Resurrection, and its songs bear the mark of hard truths and sin. But the punk energy behind the playing, and the sense that it's all in good fun, make it OK to dance to a song like "Death." Full Story